City Council

C. Discussion and direction on establishing a policy to subsidize eligible recreation program and Presented by the Community Services Director Recommendation: The City Council is recommended to discuss and provide direction on establishing a policy to subsidize eligible recreation program and service items to help guide the discussion: • Receive staff and consultant presentation summarizing the proposed historically provided recreation programs and services at rates that do not fully recover the cost of service. Recreation fees have not been comprehensively updated in more than ten years. • Recreation programs and services provide significant community benefits, including youth development, health and wellness opportunities, social engagement, and access to safe recreational activities. • As part of the City's recent User Fee Study, staff evaluated the actual cost of providing recreation programs and services and compared City fees to those charged by neighboring agencies. • The User Fee Study identified that the City currently recovers only a portion of the costs associated with providing recreation programs and services, with the remaining costs subsidized through General Fund resources. • During discussions regarding user fees, the City Council expressed a desire to maintain affordability for residents while establishing a clear and transparent policy regarding fee subsidies.